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Thursday, January 16, 2014

Book Drawing

When
you leave a comment on THIS post by 6 p.m. CT Sunday, January 19, 2014 you'll
be entered in the DRAWING for a copy of the book I mention below. If you
mention in your comment that you’re a follower (see in the left column “Join
This Site” and “Follow by Email”), I’ll add your name a second time in the drawing.
You must be eighteen, have a U.S. mailing address, void where prohibited.You can read details about my book
giveaways at Disclaimers.

Betrayed
by Lillian Duncan

Lillian
Duncan is our guest blogger today. Lillian writes Stories of faith mingled… with murder & mayhem. She is a multi-published writer who writes the type of books she loves to read—suspense with a touch of
romance. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she
believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word. To
learn more about Lillian and her books, visit her website.

Welcome,
Lillian. Please tell us about your book, Betrayed.

Betrayed is the second
book in my Sisters by Choice series. In Deception (the first in the series),
there is a terrorist. I kept wondering what kind of woman could be married to a
terrorist and not know it. Betrayed is the answer
to that question. It is Maria’s story and her struggle to get past the betrayal
of her husband and create a new life for her daughter.

What’s
the setting for Betrayed?

Most of the story takes place in or
around a small fictional town in Ohio called Sunberry. Coincidentally, we have
a small town in Ohio called Sunbury that is very similar to the fictional
setting!

How
did you come up with the title for Betrayed?

It was an obvious choice since Maria
was betrayed by her husband so horribly. But as the story continues, Maria
begins to believe she’s been betrayed yet again. But by whom?

Is
Betrayed the first book you
published?

No, I’ve published several others in
the past few years, including Deception and
Pursued also published by Pelican
Book Group along with a novella, The Christmas
Stalking.

Why
did you write Betrayed?

I had actually written much of Maria’s
story in Deception, but it was removed
from that book. Maria wasn’t happy about that and begged me to write her story,
so I did.

What
do you want readers to take away from Betrayed?

Bad things happen to all of us. How we
react to those things will determine the quality of our future. We can make the
choice to stay in the past and be angry and bitter, but a much better choice
would be to forgive and move on with our own life.

Does
Betrayedhave a theme?

Beauty for ashes is a phrase that comes
up several times throughout the book and I consider it the theme. It comes from
Isaiah 61:3. A second theme is about
honoring God with our choices and our actions even in the midst of a crisis.

What’s
the Sisters by Choice series about?

This series definitely has romance in
it, but I also wanted to explore the strong bonds that form between
women—through blood or through the choices we make. Each story focuses on a
relationship between two women that becomes as important to the story as the
romantic plot.

Do
you know who the bad guy is when you begin your story?

Not usually. Most of the time I have
several characters who it might be and as the story comes to a conclusion, I am
surprised right along with my readers. Betrayed was no exception. I wasn’t
sure who it was until the very end.

What makes your stories Christian fiction?

My stories always have an element of
faith in them. How that plays out depends on the individual plots of each
specific story. My main characters are always on a spiritual journey, though
some may be farther along than others. Christian fiction has changed
dramatically over the past ten years. Other than erotica, readers can find
their favorite genre as Christian fiction as well as mainstream fiction. There
are Christian fiction books out there for every book lover—historical; romance;
regency; science fiction; even horror novels.

If
Betrayed becomes a movie who would
you like to see play your main characters?

Oh, I can see Angelina Jolie playing
Maria. In Deception, Maria was a bit
of a wimp, but life has changed her. She’s tough now—like Angelina. I think
Mark Harmon, better known as Gibbs, would make the perfect male lead.

What
are you working on now?

I have a devotional blog,Power up with God’s Word: Secrets for a
Better Life.
I was diagnosed with bilateral brain tumors this past year and so many of the
devotions focus on help for others who are facing a crisis—physical or
spiritual. Along with that, the third book in The
Sisters by Choice series (Redemption)
is in the process of rewriting. I’m also working on a new mystery novella
series, Deadly Communications. It features a crime-fighting speech pathologist.
Having been a speech pathologist for almost 35 years, this story was so much
fun for me to write.

To celebrate the release of Betrayed,
I’m giving away a virtual gift basket at Tiaras & Tennis Shoes. The virtual
gift basket includes a copy of my books, Serenity
Springs, Ohio; Dark Alleys; and Geese Mate for Life. Along with the
books, a $25 Amazon gift card is included plus a few books from some writer
friends. To enter the contest, simply hop on over to Tiaras & Tennis Shoes, leave a
comment on the post titled “Celebration!” Winner will be chosen and announced
on February 14. (Jo here: don’t forget to come back to leave your comment on
this blog post.)

Lillian,
thank you for spending time with my readers and me. One of the commenters on
this blog post will receive a copy of Betrayed,
which Lillian has offered.

Remember:leave a comment on THIS post by 6 p.m. CT
Sunday, January 19, 2014 and you'll be entered in the drawing for a copy ofBetrayed by Lillian Duncan.Please, pleaseremember to leaveyour email address. I’ll need your email address so that
should you be the winner I can get in touch with you. I’ll announce the winner
in Monday’s blog.

Hello Jo - I'm a follower - and Lillian! I enjoyed your interview and especially liked how Maria's story was cut from an earlier book and she really wanted it told, so she bugged you. I think it's so fun when characters do that! : )